An old sailor repeatedly got lost at sea, so his friends gave him a compass and urged him to use it. The next time he went out in his boat, he followed their advice and took the compass with him. But as usual he became hopelessly confused and was unable to find land. Finally, he was once again rescued by his friends. Disgusted and impatient with him, they asked, "Why didn’t you use that compass we gave you? You could have saved us a lot of trouble!" The sailor responded: "I didn’t dare to! I wanted to go north, but as hard as I tried to make the needle aim in that direction, it just kept on pointing southeast."
That old sailor was so certain he knew which way was north, that he stubbornly tried to force his own personal persuasion on his compass. As a result he was unable to benefit from the guidance it offered.
Sometimes our life gets off course... and we are in desperate need of direction.
So many ask for it. So few accept the answers they receive.
The Bible talks about this type of person:
“But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” James 1:22
I talk to so many who listen to what we teach at Potential Church... read God’s word for further confirmation... and when it comes time to make the decision, decide to go a completely different direction.
Many blame God for not stepping in and helping... providing no insight or course of action for them. Not true. It isn’t God’s unwillingness to lead.. it’s our unwillingness to follow.
Far too often we know the truth. We know the way to go. We understand what God wants us to do. But we don’t want to follow it because it isn’t convenient, easy, or popular.
God has our best interests in mind. He knows what’s best for us and provides a way for us to live our lives filled with blessings and joy. Sure there are challenges, but by seeking and following His guidance... He leads us through and strengthens us in the process.
God’s word is our compass. It is always the right way to go. When we follow it, we stay on course. When we alter from His direction, we find our lives detached and adrift from His purposes. North is north and God’s Word will always be the absolute truth. Feeling lost today? Not sure which way to turn? Seek His solution and be bold enough to follow it. I promise that when you do... where you end up will be the exact right place.
